A lengthy discussion on "Empty America"
- Thread starter raharris1973
- Start date
) only goes so far.I remember that Harry Turtledove wrote about Americas settled by homo erectus.Never read it,but - it could be more interesting that empty America,becouse erectus would not buit anything or hunt down Megafauna.
And it was possible - erectus get on Luzon,which mean that they have boats.
Could go using them from Siberia.
And it was possible - erectus get on Luzon,which mean that they have boats.
Could go using them from Siberia.
raharris1973
Well-known member
The first Columbus voyage will be disappointing in not finding gold.
But land and freshwater should be found.
Columbus will no doubt say that these wild islands should be used as bases to keep exploring just a little further, where surely, the orient must be.
He should at least have some novel animals or remains of animals to show when he gets back to Spain.
He and his crew will find these,
The giant ground sloth - on the islands. No way is one of those going to be dragged on a ship and kept alive for the trip back to Spain. Even a full corpse if preserved or stuffed would take up too much cargo space and be too heavy, but the royals are going to get one or more hell of a giant "bearskin rug" made out of these beasts.
Unless there's nobody with taxidermy skills, there should be some examples of some large, colorful birds and monkey, unknown in Europe, like the three foot owl: giant barn owl . Caribbean version of giant Haast eagle . Terror bird and Ibis . Flightless crane https://imgur.com/13zzCKo
And if there's no competent taxidermists, they'll at least get feathers and beaks or heads and talons.
But land and freshwater should be found.
Columbus will no doubt say that these wild islands should be used as bases to keep exploring just a little further, where surely, the orient must be.
He should at least have some novel animals or remains of animals to show when he gets back to Spain.
He and his crew will find these,
The giant ground sloth - on the islands. No way is one of those going to be dragged on a ship and kept alive for the trip back to Spain. Even a full corpse if preserved or stuffed would take up too much cargo space and be too heavy, but the royals are going to get one or more hell of a giant "bearskin rug" made out of these beasts.
Unless there's nobody with taxidermy skills, there should be some examples of some large, colorful birds and monkey, unknown in Europe, like the three foot owl: giant barn owl . Caribbean version of giant Haast eagle . Terror bird and Ibis . Flightless crane https://imgur.com/13zzCKo
And if there's no competent taxidermists, they'll at least get feathers and beaks or heads and talons.
raharris1973
Well-known member
Instead of Conquistadores, some of the first Spanish adventurers on the mainland, trying to find and take down giant beasts like the mastodon with their ivory tusks, might be called the Cazadores - hunters.
During glaciations a small raft will suffice. Borneo was attached to Indochina, so you walk there. And then island hopping across straits narrower than today.
This is from LGM, but illustrates the general concept.
Could they did the same to North America from Asia?
And since elephant tusks was almost as good as gold,it actually could gave them big profit.
Only Homo sapiens.Homo Erectus could probably enter.